I Could Use A Happily Ever After
by spoodle monkey
Summary: To a captive Murdock, this all seems like a fairy tale. Face/Murdock


Disclaimer: Nope, don't own.

A/N- Shout out to the original series in here...see if you can find it!

A/N2- I love Murdock and Face and Hannibal and BA...and I finally wrote something for my boys! Yay! Hopefully this is me getting over my writers block- enjoy!

* * *

It's like a fairy tale, he decides. Like one of the stories that Face tells him late at night when neither of them can sleep and the shadows are twisting and turning, inching closer and closer until he's sure they're going to reach out and grab him, drag him away and no one will even notice.

Like the story about the princess locked up in a tower waiting for her prince to come and save her; Face had told him that one laying in the bed next to him, arms wrapped around him tight while Murdock shook and shivered as the remnants of the dream still held him in their grasp.

But maybe not that exact fairy tale, he thinks. Because while the room is like a tower, there aren't any windows to see out of and his hair isn't nearly long enough for anyone to climb up.

The walls of the room- they're just like an old castle and the floor too. He thinks that there should probably be a four poster bed with silk sheets, fit for a princess of course- he even asks for one but his captors just yell something indistinguishable and he settles for the cot in the corner.

Well, he thinks, if he's the princess here, he wonders who his prince will be.

Face- Face would be a good prince, the handsome hero rushing in to save the pilot in distress. BA would be a knight, off fighting dragons. And Hannibal would be the king.

The door swings open but instead of his prince charming, three thugs with semi automatics come into the room, two hauling him up between them while the third keeps a careful eye on him, like he's some wild animal that could snap at any moment.

Murdock grins, his wildest grin and tilts his head back and _howls_.

The men jump but don't release their hold on him and he just grins wider. They can try their best to get information out of him, he won't tell them anything; his prince is coming for him.

::

The cold stone bites into his palms as he catches himself. The door swings shut behind him, loud and echoing. He lies still for a moment, cheek pressed to the ground and just breathing. A chuckle escapes him. And then another, and before he knows it he's laughing, arm wrapped around his aching chest. He gasps for breath and runs a hand over his face as the laughter wanes and finds that his cheeks are wet now.

_Oh_, he thinks.

The room is dark now, no windows and only the light that filters in from the hall and the dim bulb in the corner, on the verge of going out. The Hilton it is not. But maybe it could be- maybe with some redecorating. Face probably knew a guy that could have the place looking posh in no time. He'll have to mention it to his captors the next time he sees them.

He pushes himself up slowly, feeling the parts of him that twinge and burn and breathes steadily through it.

Once he's standing though he's not sure what to do next. The thing about fairy tales and all the stories that Face tells him is that they never mention the _hurry up and wait_ part. He wonders what those princesses did locked up in the towers for hours, or even days. He thinks they must have had company. Maybe some talking mice. Or birds.

He wouldn't mind some company.

He paces a bit, restless and mind suddenly a million miles away in Mexico of all places. But then he's back and just as restless. So he tries some jumping jacks and when that doesn't work he does a little jig.

Then he drags the cot into the brightest corner in the room, right below the light and settles in. Shadows are creeping across the room towards him but they can't quite make it into the circle of light he's surrounded himself with.

Face, he thinks, Face will be here soon. Maybe riding a white horse. Or even better yet- with a copter. Something quiet and sleek and all for Murdock.

He falls asleep thinking about Face swooping in like a winged angel.

::

The dark presses in on him, suffocating him until he's gasping for air and clawing at an invisible hand curled around his throat. He's pressed into the cot, something heavy holding him down, sitting on his chest. He tries to call out, to scream, tries to call for his team but the words catch in his throat.

The light had gone out while he had been asleep and dreams of evil step mothers with automatic weapons and knives that were pressing into his skin, carving out the ending to his story, but with a Brothers Grimm twist and not Face's happy endings, had woken him.

And now he's trapped in the darkness and there is nowhere to escape to, no Face, no prince charming. He's on his own. And he should have realized this sooner because he's no beautiful princess, he's a battered, broken pilot and rescue is not coming for him. Face may be a prince but he's not Murdock's.

Something cold and wet presses up against his hand and he jumps. The weight on his chest disappears and he rolls, puts himself in a corner, defensive and squints into the dark. His heart pounds in his chest and terror is creeping up on him like the shadows that keep telling him he'll be better off with them, that they'll take him and never let him go.

And then he hears something. There's a bark, high and hopeful and he wonders how the hell a dog managed to get in there with him. It has to be his mind. But something brushes against his hand, soft fur and Murdock reaches out to touch but then the animal is gone. His eyes search the dark almost desperately but he can't see anything through all the shadows.

Face, he thinks, takes a breath and makes his way unsteadily to the cot. He curls up on the bed, eyes staring into the darkness and if he stares long enough he can see his friends quick grin and bright blue eyes and he tells himself that Face _is_ coming.

::

Maybe Cinderella, he thinks idly as the man in charge yells at him, demands answers and threatens him with knives and electricity and fire. And he gives them nothing because as far as he's concerned they aren't very original and he's been through it all. And maybe he came out a little broken, but Face and Hannibal and even BA never held it against him.

Cinderella, he thinks- and they could be the evil stepmother and sisters.

"Where are your team?"

Murdock's head snaps to the side with the force of the punch. His hair hangs in his face as his shoulders begin to shake.

The thug's chuckle, thinking their prisoner is finally going to give in but the chuckles die away as they realize what is really happening.

"Is he laughing?" The man with bruised knuckles demands in broken English. Murdock lets out a loud bark of laughter and straightens up. "What is _wrong_ with him?"

"I just wanna get to the ball." Murdock drawls, eyes crinkling with humour. Face will be waiting for him at the ball and maybe he won't even have to lose a glass slipper, cause his feet are too big for those things. Maybe he won't have to rush home at midnight.

"Tell me!" There's a vein bulging out in the man's neck. Murdock zeroes in on the sight, thinks- I could take him out, and then the others, I could do it, I could do it, _Hannibal_ could do. No- Hannibal would have escaped already, being the king and all.

"Once upon a time," The words tumble out of his mouth. "There was a prince and a knight and a king."

A blow strikes his face but he keeps going, laughter colouring his words. Distantly, he thinks he can hear a dog barking.

"And they would do anything to rescue their princess from danger," More blows rained down on him but he pushed the pain aside, kept thinking, maybe not Cinderella, maybe not Rapunzel but maybe Sleeping Beauty, or Beauty and Beast- yeah, because Face was _beautiful_ and Murdock wasn't but maybe he could be if he had Face. "And the princess _knew_ that they would come for her." Blood trickled down from a cut next to his eye and his tongue tasted of copper but he kept talking. "So she waited and waited and knew her prince would rescue her soon."

And the best part of this fairy tale he thinks as shadows creep in on the edge of his vision and he's dragged back to his tower is that they all lived happily ever after.

::

His ribs twinge with each breath he takes, his face feels swollen and everything aches. But he's tougher than he looks and you can't break what is already broken.

What they didn't tell you about fairy tales was the pain. There isn't any poisoned apple this time or anything to prick his finger on but he thinks that this might be the same thing. Because he can feel the tug of sleep, a deep, deep sleep that is sure to last a long time. He can't be scared though because he knows that his happily ever after is coming for him, that he just has to wait a little while longer. He has to believe that even someone like him can have that.

There's a noise next to the cot and he reaches out, touching soft fur and thinks, _huh there is a dog_. There's a bark and then a different sound, one that Murdock knows _very_ well.

The sharp retort of gunfire echoes around the room and he turns his head and peels a swollen eye open. The room is empty, he's alone. The gunfire stops and he realizes that it wasn't real, that it was all in his head- broken pieces rattling around up there and making him think that the cavalry has arrived.

He exhales, long and loud, feels the pain in his chest as he does and lets his eyes close. He hears more noises, some he recognizes and some he doesn't- he hears yells. But it's all in his head and he's terrified that he's losing his last grasp on reality.

Beauty and the Beast, he thinks, Snow White, he thinks- which one is his fairy tale? Face is supposed to be there, rushing in to the rescue.

"Murdock." He'll say. Voice low and urgent. He can imagine it. He keeps his eyes closed and pictures his friends face, the worried frown, beautiful blue eyes- its something he'll never forget no matter how far he slips.

"_Murdock_." He says. A hand lands on his shoulder, squeezing. Another settles lightly on his chest, rising and falling with each pained breath he takes. "Come on HM, open your eyes for me."

He wonders which fairy tale this is. But he peels open his eyes as far as he can and squints up at the ceiling. Wonderful, familiar blue eyes stare back down at him.

"Hey." Face says softly. "We need to get you out of here."

Murdock continues to stare, afraid to blink because if he does then his hallucination will disappear. He finally gets to see Face and it's almost like he's real, he doesn't want to lose it.

"Can you walk?" Face frowns when he doesn't answer and he thinks that if this is his hallucination then it should at least be smiling. Face is _beautiful_ when he smiles. "Oh," His lips part and Murdock watches, fascinated. "No, no- I'm real, HM, I promise I'm real."

"That's what a hallucination would say." He rasps and frowns because that can't be his voice.

"I know, but I promise I'm here." Face pulls him up and he stifles a gasp at the movement. He leans heavily on the other man, arm draped across his shoulders, still staring at him. Because this is very different from any fairy tale he's ever heard but still feels like a rescue and he starts to tentatively believe that it is real. "Time to go, BA is waiting for us in the van."

Murdock manages to make it down the stairs, spots dancing across his vision. Then he spots Hannibal armed to the teeth and waiting for them and thinks, _ok I believe you_ and passes out.

::

Face is sitting next to his bed when he wakes up.

The other man is sprawled in a chair, feet up on the bed, and game boy in his hands but when Murdock shifts and groans the game is quickly forgotten. A glass of water is passed over silently and his pillows are stacked behind him so he can sit up and then Face perches on the edge of his bed one hand on the mattress and the other reaching out to grasp Murdock's loosely.

"Hey Facey." He brings his free hand up to rub at his eyes, feeling how the swelling is already going down and wonders how long he's been asleep. "Not a dream?" He asks just to be sure.

Face grins a little half smile and says, "No, I'm real. We got you out."

"S'good." He murmurs and lets his eyes slide shut again, still exhausted.

"You had us worried." Face says softly and there's an edge to it, like he's blaming himself. Murdock squeezes the hands in his grasp and feels the pressure returned. "We didn't know if we'd get to you in time."

"I knew you would, Facey." He cracks an eye open and grins at his best friend. "You're my prince charming."

The other man blinks but his smile grows and he shifts forwards a little. "Does that make you my pilot in distress?"

Murdock nods, head rubbing against the pillow and making his sandy hair cling with static. Face lets out a little huff of laughter that does more to make Murdock feel sane than any medication a doctor could prescribe.

"So we get to live happily ever after?" Face asks.

"Probably," Murdock says and frowns lightly. "I still can't figure out what fairy tale this is, though. But most of them seem pretty happy at the end. After they get their kiss and all." His face heats up, suddenly shy because Face has just been playing along and he's taking it a step further.

But Face just grins, wide and mischievous and gorgeous and then he gets to taste the smile against his lips as Face leans in and kisses him, light but with intent and then pulls back.

"I could use a happily ever after." Is all Face says but he keeps holding Murdock's hand. And Murdock thinks he's figured out which fairy tale it is; it's _theirs_.

* * *

So- did anyone find Billy? I felt he needed to start showing up since he's not in the movie


End file.
